Causes of skin diseases along with factors

Everyone is at risk for skin diseases. Even people who regularly shower and use it skincare though. Because every skin disease has different causes. For more details, let's identify what causes skin diseases.

Various causes of skin disease

Many things can cause skin conditions to appear. Broadly speaking, the causes of skin diseases can be distinguished based on the type of disease, namely infectious skin diseases and non-communicable skin diseases. The following is complete.

Causes of infectious skin diseases

Usually, contagious skin diseases arise because of an infection. Illness can come from viral infections, bacterial infections, parasitic infections, or fungal infections.

1. Viral infection

Viral infection is a common cause of skin disease. There are three groups of viruses that most commonly cause skin diseases, namely:

• Poxvirus, causes molluscum contagiosum and smallpox,
• Human papillomavirus, causes genital warts, and
• Herpes virus, causing skin and genital herpes.

Diseases caused by this virus can be mild or severe. For that, do early treatment to prevent disease severity.

2. Bacterial infection

Human skin is actually a home for many bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium sp., Brevibacterium sp., And Acinetobacter. These bacteria are classified as good and do not cause problems. However, other types can cause skin diseases.

Usually bacteria enter the skin through open wounds or abrasions on the skin. Having open sores or abrasions may not always give you skin disease, but it does increase the risk. Especially if your immune system is weakened due to chronic disease you have.

In addition, this condition can also arise due to the side effects of treatment. Here are the various types of bacteria that cause skin diseases and the problems they cause.

Staphylococcus aureus

• Folliculitis (a condition when hair follicles become inflamed)
• Boils
• Impetigo (an infection that causes a red, fluid-filled rash)
• Ectima (ulcers in the skin covered with yellow-brown shells)

Streptococcus pyogenes

• Cellulitis (infection of the skin and soft tissue underneath)
• Impetigo
• Boils
• Erysipelas (acute infection in the form of patches on the skin)

Corynebacterium species

• Erythrasma (inflammation of the skin that attacks areas of the body with a lot of sweat)
• Pitted keratolysis (bacterial infection of the soles of the feet)

If the bacterial infection is mild, the condition usually gets better without special treatment. However, if the bacteria still appear and cause serious problems, the condition must be treated immediately with antibiotics.

3. Parasitic infection

Parasites are one of the causes of skin diseases that need to be watched out for. Parasites are usually small insects or worms that enter the skin to live or lay eggs. Apart from the skin, infections due to parasites also usually enter the bloodstream and organs.

But not to worry, this skin infection is generally not life-threatening. It's just that it makes the sufferer uncomfortable. As for the types of skin infections due to parasites, namely head lice and scabies or scabies.

4. Yeast infection

Source: Michigan State University

Yeast infections usually attack areas of the skin that tend to be moist, such as the feet and armpits. The reason is, fungi are very easy to breed in warm and humid environments.

Athletes including those who are quite susceptible to fungal infections. This is because clothes that are wet and damp due to sweating are a favorite home for fungi to breed. Moreover, if you add a wound to the skin that makes the fungus get into the deeper layers of the skin.

Therefore, don't leave your body wet or damp for too long if you don't want to be infected with fungus. Take a shower or dry your body immediately after engaging in activities that cause a lot of sweat.

As for various skin problems caused by fungal infections, namely:

• water fleas,
• ringworm, and
• diaper rash.

Causes of non-contagious skin diseases

Problems with your skin can not only be caused by infection, but also several other factors that are still related to your body condition and environmental factors. Here are some reasons.

1. Autoimmune disorders

Autoimmune disorders are conditions when the body's immune system goes wrong and attacks healthy body cells. Autoimmune disorders can affect any part of the body such as organs, joints, muscles, tissues, including the skin.

Experts do not know exactly why this happened. In addition, skin diseases caused by autoimmune disorders generally cannot be cured. However, proper medication helps relieve and control your symptoms.

As for various skin diseases caused by autoimmune disorders, namely:

• scleroderma,
• psoriasis,
• dermatomyositis (skin rash accompanied by muscle weakness),
• Pidermolysis bullose (a disease that makes the skin brittle and blistered easily), and
• bullous pemphigoid (a rare skin disease that begins with a rash and changes to fluid-filled resilience).

2. DNA mutations

DNA mutations or errors can be one of the causes of skin disease. Mutations cause cells to grow out of control to form cancer cells.

Skin cancer usually starts in the top layer of the skin or epidermis. The epidermis is a thin layer that provides protection to the cells and skin tissue underneath.

Epiderms have three main cell types namely:

• Squamous cells, is located just below the epidermis and serves as the inner layer of the skin.
• Basal cells, in charge of producing new skin cells and under squamous cells.
• Melanocytes, a producer of pigments that give skin its color.

DNA mutations can make cancer cells grow in these three skin cells.

3. Exposure to excess UV rays

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, excess ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can be obtained from the sun is one of the causes of skin disease, namely cancer. This is because excess exposure to UV rays can actually trigger damage and mutations in DNA.

This condition can especially lead to basal and squamous cell skin cancer. However, if a person has frequent excess sun exposure before the age of 18, he or she is at higher risk of developing melanoma skin cancer.

Other causes that increase the risk of developing skin diseases

Apart from the various causes above, a person is also at high risk of developing or experiencing skin disease severity if:

1. Spend a lot of time outdoors

The more time you spend outdoors, the longer you are exposed to the sun. Not only can it cause skin disease, excessive sun exposure can also trigger the severity of the disease.

Psoriasis and rosacea are diseases that can arise from excessive sun exposure. For that, you need to make various efforts to limit it, namely in the following way.

• Apply sunscreen all over the skin during outdoor activities.
• Using closed clothes so that the sun does not directly hit the skin.
• Wear a hat if the heat is too intense.
• Wear sunglasses if necessary.

2. Have a family history of skin diseases

Genetic factors play a major role in increasing a person's risk for skin disease. If there is a family member who has certain skin diseases, you are also at risk.

Usually this condition appears in various autoimmune skin diseases such as vitiligo and psoriasis. In addition, rosacea and eczema are also skin diseases that are likely to run in families.

3. Have had a skin infection

Skin diseases can arise as a result or complication of certain skin problems. For example, cellulitis is a complication of impetigo. You can also get cellulitis if you have other skin problems such as water fleas, contact dermatitis, eczema, shingles, and chicken pox.

Therefore, make sure to get the right treatment to the end when you have a skin disease. This is done to prevent the emergence of other diseases from entering and infecting the skin.

4. Not keeping the body and the environment clean

Germs including bacteria, viruses, and disease like dirty and damp environments to breed in. People who do not maintain a clean body and environment are at a very high risk of developing skin diseases. This is mainly caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

To reduce this risk, start caring about personal hygiene. Don't be lazy to take a shower every day. Bathing helps clean dirt and sweat that sticks to the body after doing activities.

In addition to maintaining personal hygiene, don't forget to keep the environment clean, especially the house. Try to be diligent in changing sheets, cleaning floors, and carpets so that you avoid various skin infections.

5. Weak immune system

The immune system has an important function, namely as a protector of the body from infection and disease. This is because the immune system has many white cells that are useful for fighting germs that cause infection.

When the condition weakens, automatically its job to fight germs that cause skin disease becomes obstructed. As a result, viruses and bacteria can easily enter and infect the skin. Usually this weak immune system is caused by various factors, such as:

• have chronic diseases such as HIV / AIDS, diabetes, cancer,
• currently undergoing chemotherapy,
• the effect of drugs such as corticosteroids or TNF inhibitors to treat rheumatism,
• people who do organ transplants,
• aged over 65 years, and
• babies and children.

6. Obesity

Obesity is touted as a health problem that triggers many dangerous diseases. In fact, research published in the journal Trends in Immunotherapy found a link between obesity and skin disease.

The results showed that obesity is a major risk factor for the development of diseases that cause inflammation of the skin. Eczema and psoriasis, including diseases that can appear when a person is obese.

This is because inflammatory cytokines produced by fatty tissue and the innate immune system are considered to be factors that trigger inflammation. For that, let's reduce the risk of developing inflammatory diseases of the skin by maintaining an ideal body weight.

7. Stress

Stress is not the main cause of skin disease. However, stress can trigger and aggravate various skin diseases. This is especially the case with recurring and incurable diseases such as psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema.

In a study published in the Journal of the German Society of Dermatology, it was stated that stress can trigger the innate immune system and trigger inflammatory compounds. As a result, the disease becomes triggered to reappear or aggravate existing ones.

8. Smoking

Smoking habits can also put you at higher risk for certain skin problems. Tobacco smoke can cause oxidative stress so that there is not enough oxygen to be supplied to the skin.

As a result, the tissue experiences a condition known as ischemia. This condition can erode the amount of collagen which keeps the skin tight and youthful. Smoking also puts you at risk for skin problems such as:

• Bacterial infections especially Staphylococccus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes
• Infection Candida albicans , especially in the mouth
• Viral infections, especially the human papillomavirus (HPV), including genital warts.

In addition, as reported by the Dermnet NZ page, smoking increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma cancer by twofold. In fact, smoking can also trigger psoriasis symptoms to come back that are worse than before.

This is because the nicotine content affects the immune system, skin inflammation, and additional skin cell growth.

9. Alcoholic drinks

Drinking alcohol is one of the triggers for skin disease. Again, rosacea, psoriasis, and sebroic dermatitis are a list of diseases that can easily be triggered.

People who already have this disease can experience the severity of their symptoms if they don't stop their drinking habit. Severe inflammation and redness of the skin are symptoms of skin problems that often arise from drinking too much alcohol.